Proximity

GRADE: EASY

Explore the sea-carved sandstone cliffs, rock arches and caves at Tunnel Beach; look for fossils as you descend through the pioneers' hand-carved tunnel.

Tunnel Beach, Dunedin

By JerOmm

Tunnel Beach, Dunedin

By Johny Cook

Tunnel Beach, Dunedin

By Enterprise Dunedin

Tunnel Beach, Dunedin

By David Wall

Tunnel Beach, Dunedin

By Barkla

Tunnel Beach, Dunedin

By Dunedin NZ

For centuries the Southern Ocean and its salt-laden wind have sculpted the sandstone coastline south of Dunedin. The outcome is a line of magnificent high cliffs, arches and headlands that provide endless vantage points for breathtaking views.

Follow the fenced track downhill to the spectacular, rocky coastline. At the end of the track you will find the handcarved rock tunnel that gives Tunnel Beach it's name. Built in the 1870s, the passage allows access to a secluded and sheltered beach at the base of the cliffs.

Be sure to examine the rock along the way, where you may discover shell fragments and possibly a fossil, such as a brachiopod shell or echinoderm (sea urchin), or even bones of an extinct whale.

Above, tenacious plant species, such as spleenwort, happily exist in the absence of soil.